Emergent Regulatory Response and Shift of Half induction point under Resource Competition in Genetic circuits

TL;DR

This paper investigates how resource competition in synthetic genetic circuits causes emergent regulatory responses and shifts in key functional points, affecting circuit behavior and stability.

Contribution

It introduces a study of a three-gene motif demonstrating emergent responses due to resource competition, highlighting changes in dynamic range and half-induction point.

Findings

Resource competition induces regulatory-like responses in genetic circuits.

Shifts in the half-induction point depend on resource affinity and availability.

Circuit behavior can be significantly altered by resource limitations.

Abstract

Synthetic genetic circuits are implemented in living cells for their operation. During gene expression, proteins are produced from the respective genes, by formation of complexes through the process of transcription and translation. In transcription the circuit uses RNAP, etc. as resource from the host cell and in translation, ribosome, tRNA and other cellular resources are supplied to the operating circuit. As the cell contains these resources in limited number, the circuit can suffer from unprecedented resource competition which might destroy the circuit functionality, or introduce some emergent responses. In this paper, we have studied a three-gene motif under resource competition where interesting behaviour, similar to regulatory responses occur due to limited supply of necessary resources. The system of interest exhibits prominent changes in behaviour which can be observed experimentally. We focus on two specific aspects, namely, dynamic range and half-induction point, which inherently describe the circuit functionalities, and can be affected by corresponding resource affinity and availability.